Assenede, Belgium – The local council of Assenede, led by Mayor Trees Van Eykeren and the majority group Lokaal Sterk!, is convening an urgent online meeting to address the escalating crisis in Gaza and formulate a statement to be sent to higher governmental authorities, reports 24brussels.
Scheduled for the next regular meeting in September 2025, this urgent council session was called in light of deteriorating conditions in Gaza. Officials emphasize that the gravity of the situation necessitates immediate action rather than delaying discussions for months.
The ruling Lokaal Sterk! group, formed by members of CD&V and Open VLD, commands a strong majority following the 2024 elections. They cite recent United Nations and human rights reports highlighting severe hunger, famine, and allegations of ethnic cleansing in Gaza, underlining the need for a prompt response.
“We quickly found the two-thirds majority needed to convene an additional municipal council. And we also invoked the urgency. Given the situation in Gaza, we naturally needed a few arguments for that,”
said Mayor Trees Van Eykeren.
The Rationale Behind the Urgency
Despite the typically foreign nature of such conflicts, the council feels a moral imperative to voice its concerns regarding Gaza’s crisis. Many residents are anxious about the unfolding events, prompting the council to convey their apprehensions.
“Of course, as a small community, we can’t stop wars, but we can send a message when our moral values are violated. And that’s precisely what’s happening in Gaza,”
Mayor Van Eykeren stated.
The special online meeting will facilitate discussions on the Gaza crisis, allowing the majority group to draft a formal statement. According to Mayor Van Eykeren, this statement will be a dynamic document, subject to modification during the meeting before it is finalized and forwarded to both the Flemish and federal governments.
“Here in Assenede, too, the conflict is alive and well, and citizens are concerned,”
Van Eykeren continued.
“They sympathise with what’s happening in Gaza, and they’re also asking me what the municipality can do in this conflict. We’ve received a clear message from our residents, and we’re now taking action.”
While the town government acknowledges it cannot influence global leaders or prevent wars, it can advocate for justice aligned with shared community values. Mayor Van Eykeren reiterated that these values are at stake in Gaza, necessitating the town’s call for action.
This initiative aligns with a broader trend wherein local councils across Europe have voiced support for international humanitarian crises. In the past, Belgian municipalities have made statements regarding the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, using their platforms to push for awareness and action from higher authorities. Assenede’s council follows this precedent as it seeks to amplify its residents’ concerns regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
